Thousands of people living in elevated areas along Princes Road are expected to benefit from the Water Authority of Fiji Elevated Princes Road Water Infrastructure Project Suva, which is expected to cost the Government, approximately $35 million.
According to WAF, the project involves the installation of a new DN630 HDPE pipeline which tees off from the existing Viria gravity main at Sawani Junction to the latest proposed Pump Station at Buresasa and a rising main (DN500 HDPE) from the Pump Station to Colo-i-Suva reservoir site and the gravity line (DN630 HDPE) from Colo-i-Suva to Khalsa Road Junction with associated points.
Minister for Public Works Ro Filipe Tuisawau, visited the sites today and was briefed on the upcoming works by WAF officials.
Ro Filipe started his tour at the Sawani Junction, where he was briefed on where the project would start, and then he visited Buresasa, the proposed site for a pump station.
He also visited the Colo-i-Suva Reservoir and the Tacirua Reservoir.
Speaking to the media, Ro Filipe says this is a critical project that the government has been looking forward to.
He says they will install two tanks at the Colo-i-Suva Reservoir to complement the supply of water to the elevated areas.
The Minister says the project is at its tender stage, and they are looking at finalising a tender in October or November this year before the project commences for the next 24 months.
WAF says the project will eliminate the inconsistent supply of treated water in the highly elevated areas within the Tamavua and Colo-i-Suva corridor and reduce the water carting program and energy consumption.
The scope of the work for the project will include: - Design and build a new gravity pipe 1.43km DN630 HDPE PN16 water pipeline from Sawani Junction to the proposed pump station at Buresasa. - Design and build a pump station. - Design and build a new rising main 5.72km DN500 HDPE PN25 water pipeline from the proposed pump station site to Colo-i-Suva reservoir site. - Design and build of a 2 x 5ML steel tank reservoir. - Design and build a new gravity main 4.58km DN630 HDPE PN16 water pipeline from Colo-i-Suva reservoir site to Khalsa Road Junction with offtake provision.
Meanwhile, the Water Authority of Fiji CEO Dr Amit Chanan had revealed on fijivillage Straight Talk with Vijay Narayan that the backup for the Tamavua Water Treatment Plant is a new pipeline that will be connected from the Viria Water Treatment Plant in Sawani to Colo-i-Suva.
He says the Tamavua system supplies to most of the elevated areas of Suva, that is along the Princes Road, Tamavua to Colo-i-Suva.
Dr Chanan says a couple of years ago, they talked about the challenges in the Suva Nausori system, and back then, their challenge was that Suva Nausori was using about 6 million litres per day or more than what they could produce.
He adds the Suva Nausori corridor is covered by the newly commissioned Viria Water Treatment Plant, which produces 40 million litres of water per day, and as a result, they have a surplus capacity in terms of demand and supply.
The WAF CEO says the missing link in the Suva Nausori system now is the Tamavua Plant, and right now, they don’t have the ability to back up this plant with Viria.
He says there is a project in the pipeline which is about bringing water from Sawani to Colo-i-Suva through a new pipeline and a pump station.
He adds from their point of view, the worst place to increase urban density is up the hill.
When asked how long people in these areas will have to wait to see the light at the end of the tunnel, Dr Chanan says the light at the end of the tunnel is that the Sawani to Colo-i-Suva pipeline and the project have already been funded.
He says the concept has been designed, and they are just finalising the land issues.
Dr Chanan further says the construction timeline takes about 6 to 10 months, but it's the resolution of the land issue that can be anybody's guess.
He adds they are hopeful in the next 6-months they will be able to resolve the land issues and are working with the Department of Lands to find some speedy resolutions.
Meanwhile, $259.4 million is allocated to the Water Authority of Fiji in the next financial budget.
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